Kelly Column: Think outside the box for game-day appetizers

Tuesday

Seems like as soon as we get into a healthy eating routine following the holidays, on come the ballgames. That means lots of snacking while watching ballgames with friends.

This year, surprise your friends with these appetizers, often made with surprise ingredients and designed to provide plenty of flavor but less fat, calories and sodium.

Baked Cauliflower Cheese Sticks

1/4 of a large head of cauliflower ‘riced’ (see directions below)

1 teaspoon olive oil

2 cloves garlic, grated or minced

1 large egg (white), lightly beaten

1/2 cup low fat mozzarella cheese

1/2 teaspoon dried Italian herb seasoning, divided

Marinara Sauce for dipping (your choice)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray a 9- by 5-inch loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray. You also could line with parchment paper, then spray.

To “rice” the cauliflower, use a grater as if you were grating cheese. You should wind up with about 1 1/2 cups, lightly packed. Place the riced cauliflower into a microwavable bowl and microwave until softened, about 5 minutes, depending on your microwave (no need to add any water).

While that is cooking, heat the oil in a small skillet over low heat and add garlic until softened. When cauliflower is softened, add the garlic mixture, lightly beaten egg white, Italian seasonings and 3/4 of the mozzarella. Leave 1/4 of the cheese for topping. Stir and mix well, then spread onto prepared pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes. It may take longer to achieve a crispier cheese stick. Bake until it starts to turn golden brown. Remove from the oven, flip the loaf over so the bottom side is now on top, and bake for another 10 minutes or so.

Sprinkle with the remaining cheese and more of the Italian herb seasoning. Place back in the oven until the cheese is melted and golden. Cut into pieces and serve hot or warm. They will harden slightly if you let them sit for a while.

Serve with heated marinara sauce.

Asparagus Guacamole and Chips

1 medium Anaheim chile (or for extra heat, 1 Serrano chile)

1 teaspoon olive oil

5 or 6 fresh asparagus spears, ends trimmed

1/2 cup nonfat plain yogurt

2 medium avocados, cut into cubes (about 2 cups)

1 plum tomato, seeded and diced

1 tablespoon chopped green onion

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice (or more to taste)

Dash garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Baked tortilla chips, or your own pita chips

Preheat broiler. Wearing rubber gloves to protect your skin, rub chile with oil; broil 5 minutes, turning with tongs so all sides get charred. Transfer to a plastic bag, seal and set aside to steam 10 minutes. Remove stem, skin and seeds from chile and dice. Set aside. (Remove gloves only when you are finished handling the chile.)

Fill medium sauté pan halfway with water and bring to a boil. Prepare a medium-sized bowl of ice water. Place asparagus spears into boiling water 3 to 4 minutes or until just tender. Remove and plunge spears into ice water to halt cooking and preserve color. When cool, remove and dry thoroughly; chop into 1-inch pieces. Transfer to blender or food processor; add yogurt and avocado and process until smooth. Transfer to a mixing bowl and stir in remaining ingredients. Serve with baked tortilla chips.

Place half the chips on a plate. Sprinkle half the cheese on top. Layer on remaining chips, then cheese. Top evenly with beans, salsa, pepper, tomato, olives and cilantro. Microwave on high until cheese melts, about 4 minutes. Serve with 1 tablespoon sour cream on the side.